The present invention arose out of continuing development efforts in the noted parent application. The invention provides voltage isolation of lead frames in electric circuit assemblies, including direct bond circuit assemblies of the parent application.
Electric circuit assemblies in the field of the present invention typically include an electrically insulating thermally conductive non-metallic refractory substrate, e.g. ceramic, having electrically conductive metallic lead frames, e.g. copper, mounted on the substrate, and electric components, e.g semiconductor chips, mounted on the lead frames. The structure is covered by an insulating housing which in turn is mounted to a heat sink such that the bottom surface of the ceramic substrate is in intimate contact with the heat sink. Examples of such circuit assemblies are noted in the parent application.
The copper lead frames are mounted to the ceramic in various manners, for example by a solder reflow operation, or by a direct bond operation, both of which processes are known in the art.
Direct bonding of the copper to the ceramic involves placing the lead frame in contact with the ceramic, heating the lead frame and the ceramic substrate to a temperature below the melting point of the lead frame to form a eutectic with the lead frame which wets the lead frame and the ceramic substrate, and cooling the lead frame and the substrate with the lead frame bonded to the substrate. The lead frame is pre-oxidized, and the heating is done in an inert atmosphere, or alternatively the heating is done in a reactive oxygen gas atmosphere. Examples of the direct bond process are noted in the parent application.
The present invention arose from efforts relating to a hermetic sealed circuit package with direct bond processing, though the invention has broader application.